Renew The Mind; Transform Your Life

And thus, the glorious Gospel According to John, comes to its close.

Herein we have the gentle restoration of Peter.
From three denials we have three affirmations of his affection for Jesus and then the all important recommissioning command, "Follow Me!"

The Greek is fascinating.  Jesus says, "Do you love me?" using Agape (described by some as the God-kind-of-love.)  Jesus uses this twice and then finally shifts to the form of love Peter uses.
Peter answers each time using Phileo (brotherly affection).  I may be reading too much into the difference of the two Greek forms of love.  Something to meditate on now that we know the text makes a distinction, and we know that no Word of God is wasted...

GONE FISHING
The most profound part for me, was the fishing trip.

In the confusion after the death and, arguably, understanding the resurrection, I love Peter's response: stick to what you're good at.  In his case, fishing.

I see this in my life, and I think it is so for many Christians - when we are unclear about what is going on, confused even, we defaul to what we are good at.  There is comfort in competence.

I've now had nearly nine years of fruitlessness and utter frustration - both in business and in faith.  It is destroying me.  It's been a living death.  My response?  To do what I'm 'good' at in the vain or vague hope that something will shift if I remain faithful.

What happens here is utterly fascinating.  Peter and the disciple all agree to go and do something they know how to do well.  It is their profession - fishermen.

The result?  Zilch. Nothing.  No joy.  Former competence produces no results.  What worked before doesn't work anymore.

I think it's not too much to read their frustration into their typically 'male' answer when Jesus says, "Children, have you anything to eat?"
They answered Him, "No!"

I'd be tetchy too.  I am tetchy.

Jesus' answer was for them to violate their professional practice, casting the net on the wrong side of the boat, or the 'right' side in this example.

The results were miraculous - a catch of 153 great fish - not tiddlers.  This was prosperity, and it came without trouble.  "The blessing of YHWH makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it."  Exit 'toil' - the curse of the Fall from the Garden of Eden - enter 'abundance' in line with Jesus' declared mission in John: "I have come that they may have LIFE and have it MORE abundantly."  153 fold.

My own experience is SO far away from this that I must currently consider myself virtually deaf to God's guidance and blind to His path.  I signed up to a living faith that promised the Living God would guide and lead, but I've certainly lost the way over the last nine years, if not longer!  However, I believe in 'Unconditional Hope'.

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,  being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’"  Rom 4:18-22

May we all hear His voice, and His instruction guiding us to where the 153 great fish are that won't break our nets.  Perhaps there is hope, unconditional hope.

We'll see in the last two chapters, how Jesus was not instantly recognisable.
His Resurrection look was clearly different and changeable.

I don't think the angels were being funny when they asked Mary, "Woman, why are you weeping?"  I genuinely think they find it hard to understand how we don't 'get' it.

I love the fact that Mary recognised Jesus when He called her name.  "My sheep know my voice..."

As for Thomas Didymus, he's a delight and a great cause for hope for the Western Church which is so slow to believe.  Notice his will was involved.  He said, "Unless... 
...I will not believe!"

Jesus had some things to say about this:
"Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”"

If Chapter 19 was significant for, "It Is Finished," this chapter also has its most powerful moment:
“Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”  Receive the Holy Spirit!  Mind you, there were a few days yet before this gift was delivered on the Day of Pentecost.  Such is prayer - the answer is 'yes' and 'amen' in Him, but the experience of that answered prayer in time may take longer than we expect.

Honestly?
I find this one of the most distressing chapters of the Bible to read - and you may even hear that in my tone.
Such unnecessary cruelty.
And such a sad loss to Judaism.

However, this chapter has one of the most important three words ever uttered by God:
"It is finished."
One word in the Greek:
Τετέλεσται
From Bible Hub:
HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 5055 teléō (from 5056 /télos, "consummation, completion") – properly, to complete (consummate), i.e. finish (qualitatively) the necessary process – with the results "rolling-over" to the next level (phase) of consummation.  See 5056 (telos).

[This root (tel-) means "reaching the end (aim)." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).]

Quoted from: https://biblehub.com/greek/5055.htm

It is the definitive moment in History.

COMPASSION
Before this, consider that in His moments of torment, Jesus, even then, had the compassion to care for His mother and the disciple whom He loved:
"when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home."

Finally, let's remember that whilst Pilate thought he had the power to release Jesus or crucify Him, Pilate had nothing in his hands that wasn't given to him by God:
Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above.

God is in control.  God has compassion even in the darkest moments.  God finished the job.

Amen

Whilst I shrink back from this chapter because it is so sad on so many levels, I am foolish to do so.

In here is so much hope.

Firstly, Jesus is utterly in control.  He calls the way it will go.  Pilate thinks he is in control, Caiaphas and Annas think they are in control, and I suspect the devil thinks he is getting his way.  But Jesus is in control to such an extent that all His followers are set free.  He 'keeps' them all.

"Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,” that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.”  See also John 6:39

Secondly, Jesus is YHWH.  The Greek text is very clear on the use of "I Am," The Divine Name.  When Jesus says, "I Am He," they fall prostrate to the ground!  He has kept the disciples in the Father's Name and He continues to manifest the Name.

Thirdly, we take strange comfort from Peter's failure.  This bold man, who wields a sword in the Garden, nevertheless denies Jesus in the High Priest's courtyard.  After walking on water, after seeing miracles performed through his own hands, after being with Jesus for three years of outstanding, glorious, powerful ministry, he still stumbles.  And yet Jesus knew this and chose Peter to be the 'Rock' on which His Church would be built.

This same Peter, after Pentecost, sleeps so soundly and peacefully in jail (like Jesus in the ship in the midst of a storm) that the angel has to kick him to wake him up!  We can do nothing of ourselves - our focus must be 80% at least on building a partnership with The Holy Spirit since without Him we can achieve nothing.  Jesus said the same thing of Himself.  He only did what the Spirit revealed to Him and He had the Spirit and the Word without measure.

JESUS' PRAYER FOR YOU
Surely some of the most important words you will ever hear, read, or listen to.
This is God's will for you.

John 17 World English Bible (WEB)

Jesus said these things, then lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you; even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him. This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed. I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word. Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you, for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. I have kept those whom you have given me. None of them is lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves. I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. [see Psalm 119:142] As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me and loved them, even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me. I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.

“I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, & none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.

“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, & will declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine & will declare it to you. A little while, & you will not see me. Again a little while, & you will see me.”

Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, & you won’t see me, & again a little while, & you will see me;’ &, ‘Because I go to the Father’?” They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”

Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, & he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’ Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, & you will receive, that your joy may be made full. I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; & I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, & have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father, & have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, & go to the Father.”

His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, & using no figures of speech. Now we know that you know all things, & don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the time is coming, yes, & has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, & you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have troub

I woke up with a greater spring in my step this morning after I felt the Holy Spirit leading my thoughts.
Those thoughts were that HE is the Spirit who gave Life to me physically at my first birth, and Life to the Full, Eternal Life, the God-kind-of-Life, Zoe, to me at the New Birth.

Listen to Deuteronomy 34:7
"Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor his strength gone."

That's for you and me too, did you know that?

I had a breakthrough "Aha!" moment many months ago hearing the story of Joe Polish and his failing cleaning business.  He had an opportunity to spend time with a financially successful entrepreneur.  He wanted to ask this chap what business he should go into next. The guy asked if anyone in his CURRENT business was making a success of it.  Joe assured him that there were people succeeding in his line of business.  "Then the problem is you," said the chap, not unkindly.  Joe then decided that if the problem was him, so also was the solution!  He chose not to move on to a new endeavour until he had financially succeeded in his present work.

What's my point?  The Heroes of Faith, such as Moses, and Peter, and James and John, and Paul and Barnabus... they are all there as examples of what is possible - the Ultimate being Jesus.  Now, Jesus is clear on this: "Apart from Me you can do nothing!"  But we are NOT apart from Him.  We did not choose Him but He chose us and APPOINTED us - almost as if there was a ceremony commissioning us - SO THAT we might bear MUCH fruit.

This is GREAT News... and it gets even better!

The Power of the Glory of God was so 'on' the Ark of the Covenant that is killed Uzzah when he touched it.  That Power has a Name - it is the HOLY SPIRIT, and He has now come to dwell on Earth, not in the Ark of the Covenant but IN you and me!

There is a Force of such personalised purity and love and power and goodness and kindness DWELLING in your innermost being, that you could experience a like-faith of the Heroes of Faith.  God is not finished with this Earth... otherwise, Jesus would have returned. This is still the Year of Jubilee - the Time of God's Favour - and the Harvest Fields are still ripe.  It's time to bear fruit, for this is what we were appointed for, though not in our own strength or cleverness.  It is time to be co-labourers with God in the Ministry of Reconciliation, as Jesus says though us, "Be reconciled to God!"

John 15 World English Bible (WEB)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.

“In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love. I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

“I command these things to you, that you may love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’John 13:16 If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my Father also. If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’Psalm 35:19; 69:4

“When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.